not using Albon for coccidia!? looking for natural option?

I am quite confused. I recently brought one of my three cats to the vet due to puking that had gone on over a day and was turning bloody. After xrays injection and examination they chalked it up to him just getting a hold of some bad food and gave warnings about my choice of a raw diet (all three eat Primalfrozen raw)..all three ate the same but only one got sick. I asked to have a fecal flotation too. It came back positive for coccidia. POCHO (sick boy) is fine now but I am about to start all three on 10 day treatment if Albon. My question is/are - should I have others tested before dosing them? Vet said no. My other cat has FIV, is it safe for him to have Albon? Vet says yes. A few months ago I had my FIV cat (Giuseppe) had a fecal flotation and they found nothing, how is that possible? They share litter boxes? And how could Pocho been carrying this and show no signs before? None of my cats go outside but I do. Could I have brought it in from the ferals I work with? All my cats are adult. I thought this was a kitten thing?

Yes, I am very Vet weary. I have had nothing but bad experiences and haven't yet found a good one..for instance- they brought Pocho back to me with his nails clipped after xray. They didn't even ask if I wanted that or give me a choice. I found this offensive. I am sure it was so he didn't scratch them but Pocho is a very gentle boy. I could have helped and now he is struggling to climb up his sisal rope poles. I don't like that at all. And two xrays in two days? That is alot of radiation. I spent over $450 already and need to buy Albon still for other two cats.

I have decided to wait to treat my kitties for coccidia. Although it was found in one of my my cats fecal flotation after reading I learned Albon doesn't kill the parasite, only enhances the immune system that must fight it itself. Not only that but it usually takes several rounds if it works at all. My cat displayed no symptoms of coccidosis and would prefer a natural method. My other concern is that another of my cats has FIV and was given so many antibiotics before and after neutering he is just now eating and eliminating in a healthy manner. I don't want to disturb his progress. Also, none are having the typical diarrhea. Is there a natural solution? If I treat them I will get all their fecal tested and several times...I just don't agree with medicating everything and everyone when the tests themselves are so unreliable. But maybe I am way off base here? Any experienced input would be greatly appreciated!

Unfortunately, your question puts our members in a difficult position because it cannot easily be answered without violating TCS forum rules regarding giving medical advice. Please refer to this thread about the policy: About Providing Medical Advice on this Board

If all three cats are fine now (no symptoms) I don't see any reason to treat them, either with Albon or anything else. 

Thanks, just making sure I am not completely thinking wrong here. I would like to share what I find out too through researching on internet. What I have read is some vets don't even treat coccidia in adult cats and if they do it is with the much more effective ponazuril which is a one time treatment that actually kills the parasite. For the record- I am not asking for professional advice just input from othet cat owners who have had experience with this medicine or parasite. We share experiences on this site? Correct?

I went and got all three kitties poop checked by a different vet who sends it away to lab not inhouse. All three came back negative! This in the context of my FIV cat having been tested a few months ago. I know the tests are not reliable but I do not trust the vet that wanted to med all with albon where no symptoms are present and so glad I doubled checked. I will test them all again in a couple weeks to be sure. I say test and retest to be sure. And if only there was a site where cat owners could share where the good vets are. I am still looking.

A cat's immune system can keep pathogens like this in check. The treatments usually do not kill all of the pathogens, but reduces the load to something the body can manage. Yes, they can test negative and still harbor the pathogen. Here, this explains: http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/coccidiosis-in-dogs.html

I would note, this can be years, not just months.

Others have cleared coccidia without albon. I have, using S boulardii. The dose I used in the two kittens was half the adult dose. The adult dose was determined by a UC Davis report on the treatment of antibiotic resistant clostridium difficile with S boulardii in a cat because the owner couldn't afford vancomycin. They had the owners give the adult cat 2.5 billion CFU twice a day for a month.

And Dr. Hovfe uses this method, which is more labor intensive than giving a pill, though I am familiar with several people that have used this method to successfully treat T foetus. http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/giardia-natural-treatment-protocol/

I also opted to forgo treatment for coccidia in my kittens when a couple had mildly loose stool every few days or so (it resolved completely before long).  The albon prevents the organisms from reproducing, reducing the parasitic load until the the kitten's immune system matures and purges the infection on its own.  Ponazuril kills it, and I had briefly considered using it before deciding the situation wasn't severe enough to warrant it.  I'm glad I didn't medicate since they got over it pretty quickly.  If they'd had runny stools every day it would have been a different story.  

Wish I'd known about the s. boulardii!

Yes, my vet was amazed. The kittens were boarded as we didn't have room to foster, so the probiotic was administered by the vet techs at the facility. They got t see it for themselves.

Just be careful with coccidia. Not all cases resolve without complications. My kittens had projectile diarrhea. It was so bad they could not make it to the litter box in the same room. I treated with albon. Next time I will try baycox.

LDG said:

Yes, my vet was amazed. The kittens were boarded as we didn't have room to foster, so the probiotic was administered by the vet techs at the facility. They got t see it for themselves.

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I again got Pochos poop tested and again negative. I know I could be missing the shedding time of eggs although I find it strange all three are not shedding at the same time. So I am going with the probiotic you had success with. My one kitty has allergies/ibd and fiv. This will be good for him anyways. Thanks!